| "All the Things She Said" | |||
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Joshua's Apartment May 19, 2008 1630 hours "C'mon Michael, you've got to do better than that!" Joshua hissed into the phone. "The numbers are there," Michael replied flatly. Joshua clenched his jaw and tucked the phone into his shoulder as he tapped at the laptop again. He was not having a very good couple days. He had successfully pretty much severed any chance he had with Paige which still left a bitter taste in his mouth. One that he had tried to abate with a twelve pack and the quiet solitude of his apartment staring out of the windows, but had apparently not done. All the things she said had stung him and hurt him and he had not prepared himself for what would be left. He could deal with the emptiness but he couldn't deal with the pain. He had willingly steered the conversation so she would hurt him and not the other way around, for he could not bring himself to break off their ties. Even now, he was not so sure he would not go out of his way to try to connect with her again. He missed her. Her words ran through his head no matter how hard he tried to push them away, his memories of her flashed incessantly no matter how often he closed his eyes. He was being tortured by his mind though whatever level he put it on it did not compare to the torture he had put her through. "I have two teams I could put on it," Michael broke through his reverie. "No, an operation of this magnitude can not be trusted to newbies...this is the fucking leader of Red Cell Michael, not some splinter group," he hissed. "What about the other Sections?" "You know they're in dire straights as much as One is," he said flatly, now even more pissed off that Michael had even suggested it. Once again Paige flitted in his mind, though this time she was dressed in black. "I can't believe I'm even suggesting this but...I can ask Gray." There was silence on the other end. Finally Michael spoke. "You will have to go to Oversight..." "I'm well aware of the protocol," he snapped back. "Then you're on your own. I can only offer a team for back up," Michael said ignoring the scathing tone from Joshua. "Don't bother, they're gonna be spooked enough knowing they're going after Red Cell without a Section Team tagging along." "They can handle it," Michael said, distracted with something else and knowing he was no longer useful to the conversation. "I'll call you later," Joshua said ending the call. He studied his laptop again though his thoughts ranged to the SIA teams. He was concerned with the four former operatives, especially the three that had a bad history with Red Cell. He would have to approach Rebecca and Gray carefully putting forth his best scenario, the best laid plans, and the best smoke blowing New Jersey had seen since McGreevey had been governor. His cell phone rang and he answered it absently, "yeah?" "What are you doing?" He recognized the voice instantly...it was Paige. Her voice was light, teasing him almost. "Nothing," he stammered trying to stand and not knock over the laptop at the same time. Why was she calling and not yelling at him? "Good, come over and go fishing with me, the Black fish are running," she said amiably and he could picture her face with a radiant smile. "Um, yeah, I've got to do some things first..." "So, I'll see you in like an hour, hour and a half maybe?" "Yes, that's fine," he said finally getting over his shock that she had called him. "K, later," she said and disconnected the line. He pulled the phone from his ear and stood staring at it...what the hell had just happened? "You just blew off Red Cell for her," he whispered shaking his head. Ok, no problem, that's why he was in charge, wasn't it? He tapped at the laptop sending an email to Birkoff to run scenarios using the profiles of the former Section agents, to add in average for the ones he didn't, and to include himself on a team. They would need all the help they could get and Joshua felt he should at least be going in with them if he was going to use them. Not that he was in the business of being fair, but he was in the business of making it look like he was being fair. If he had to go in to make it look like that what was good for the goose was also good enough for the gander, then so be it. Anyway, he was tremendously curious as to what Paige wanted him for, and he'd much rather look at her than his laptop. He grabbed his denim jacket and keys and left his apartment. An hour and fifteen minutes later he pulled into her apartment complex. He had stopped off to get some food, sandwiches and chips and what not. He had debated getting her something then remembered she was getting her appetite back, and if there was one thing that woman had an endless supply of...it was her appetite. So, he had bought her a sandwich as well. He pressed her doorbell. "I'll be right down," she said as he rolled his eyes to wait. So, she would go out with him but he wasn't allowed in her apartment, ok, well, he could deal with that. He heard her come bounding down the stairs and he just about got out of the way as she burst through the door. "Joshua!" she exclaimed brightly. He narrowed his eyes, "what are you up to?" She looked at him playfully holding up the cooler which was most likely filled with her favorite drink...ale. "About five foot ten last time I checked," she bit her bottom lip grinning like a child. "Ok, you're not planning on tying me up and throwing me overboard are you?" She punched him lightly in the arm, "don't be silly, if I were going to kill you I'd weight you down, shoot your lungs out, then toss you overboard." She shook her head in a very sarcastic matter. "My lungs?" he asked. She gestured for him to follow as she turned to walk backwards, "so you don't float before the fish get a chance to eat you," she grinned then turned back around flipping her hair which was pulled into a ponytail and threaded through the back of a hat. He hesitated for a moment, maybe she had finally lost it? Anyway, he was a hell of a lot bigger than her, he'd be fine. "I bought some food...chips...sandwiches..." "That's fine," she said though her voice was not as cheery as it had been. They walked down to the docks in silence as the sun was on its final sweep pulling the darkness stubbornly behind it. She undid the canopy of the boat stepping lightly into the back as if she had been born on a boat. She took the bags from him, "you do know how to fish don't you?" "Yes," he said evenly. "I'm not gonna have to bait your hook or anything am I?" "Just go smartass," he said sending a little hint of warning at her. "Pull the killies up," she said grinning at him. It was if the other day had never happened, and that worried him. She should have been more pissed off at him. Perhaps he should ask before she gets him out into the middle of the bay. "What's this all about, Paige?" he asked her as he pulled the killies in their bait box out of the water alongside the boat. "About? I thought I was quite explicit...Black...fish...fishing," she mouthed the words slowly. He eyed her carefully, there was something wrong with her but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Some lingering effects from the tracker testing? She had completely lost her mind? She had finally figured a way to turn the tables and make him feel a little paranoid for once. "Relax," she smiled as she stepped next to him to remove the two ropes that held the back of the boat to the docks. She put a hand on his chest, "I promise to listen when you're begging softly for your life." He offered a smug smile to her, she was definitely in a playful mood tonight despite whatever was wrong. Her movement changed as she smiled brightly at someone else. She had never reserved such a smile for him. "Hey Mayor," she said brightly. Joshua turned to see an elderly gentlemen (too old to be the mayor, he thought) coming slowly down the dock. "Ayup, Paige, haven't seen you in awhile," the old man said fixing his eyes on Joshua's. Joshua recognized the New England accent but stiffened involuntarily under that gaze, he knew when he was being judged. "Been busy," Paige said cheerfully with a shrug. Busy being paranoid Joshua thought bitterly. The old man finally nodded towards Joshua, "not your usual companion," he said evenly. Joshua felt the small hairs on the back of his neck rise, who was her usual companion? "Going out for that white whale, figured I use the big guy here for bait," she giggled. The old man laughed heartily at that clearly enjoying Paige's good sense of humor and Joshua's being uncomfortable. "Well before you cut him up mind if I borrow him for a moment, seems these old muscles are getting a bit more tired these days." Paige turned to him, "help him?" God, like he could say no to her. He smiled, "sure no problem." He climbed out of the boat as Paige watched with a small smile on her face. What he would give right now to know what she was thinking. He extended his hand, "Joshua." The old man grasped it and Joshua was a bit surprised at the strength belied by the wrinkled skin. "You are a big one, eh?" Joshua smiled, "I drink a lot of milk." The old man nodded his approval, and it was if the old man had taken a chest laden with gold off Joshua's back. "If you could just load this box on the back deck, I'd be much obliged." "No problem," Joshua said as he lifted the box easily and maneuvered it on to the back deck of the Mayor's boat, which was about twice the size of the SIA boat. "You want it inside?" he said looking up to the dock. "No, right there's fine, I'll get in the rest of the way." Joshua shrugged setting the box down gently as the Mayor climbed down into the deck. "Thank you, Joshua, you've saved an old man a lot of trouble," he extended his hand. It was Joshua's turn to take it, "you're quite welcome, sir." The old man, however, did not let his hand go as Joshua looked uneasily at him. "You know," the old man said with a wink, "I haven't heard a giggle like that from a young lass since my wife, bless her soul, said yes to a date with me." Joshua just smiled as the Mayor released his hand. "You should never take a sound like that for granted son," the old man nodded at him. "I don't," Joshua said calmly, "believe me...I don't." "Well, thanks again and take it easy out there, storm's a comin in," he said. "Will do, it was nice meeting you," Joshua said climbing to the dock and shaking himself a little from the whole experience. He climbed back into the Secret Freedom as Paige stood waiting for him. The lines had all been loosed, the bumpers pulled in, and the engine hummed softly. "Thanks," she grinned at him. He nodded and took the bucket seat next to her. She eased the boat out of the slip and headed towards the bay. He fiddled with the radio tuning in a local classic rock station. Paige grimaced and made faces, even boldly mimicked the lyrics but she did not complain, nor did she look at him, nor did she say a word directly to him. So, it was beginning, a showdown he assumed, would be taking place. 'Begging softly for his life' he wondered what she had meant by that. There was no where to run and no where to hide out on the bay, just the two of them, the water, and the night. He wondered then what other words she would conjure up now that she'd had time to think about what had passed and what he had done. He wondered how much she would hurt him now armed with the time to let her mind did what it did best...think. Yes, it certainly had begun..the storm was coming. Return |
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